Yara Shahidi is a force to be reckoned with. The 17-year-old actress, best known for her work on ABC’s hit TV show Black-ish, will head to Harvard in the fall of 2018 to pursue a degree in social studies (she’s taking a gap year to work on Grown-ish, a spin-off of Black-ish). And if that wasn’t enough, she’s also an activist who champions feminism, diversity, and inclusivity—and she wants you to find your voice, too.

“As teenagers, we have a lot of power that we’re unaware of,” Shahidi tells SELF. But instead of focusing on the quantitative stuff (like how many followers you have or how many likes you get on social media), she suggests zeroing in on the quality of your personal message. “We have the opportunity to be taken seriously because we are a mass market, and when we realize the power that we actually hold, it’s easier to understand how we facilitate change,” she says.

Being someone who makes a difference can be as simple as investing your time and resources in your community—like volunteering or protesting for a cause you believe in—or even on a global scale through donations to organizations you support.

As your activism grows, you’ll likely be introduced to people or ideas that may not match your own. In those cases, make your conversations constructive, suggests Shahidi, who’s partnering with Always for the company’s Always #LikeAGirl – Keep Going Initiative, which aims to eradicate the stigma of failing and fear of being wrong. These discussions aren’t about proving someone else wrong, but rather educating them on your views. “Figure out how you can make it so you both walk away with something,” says Shahidi.

Still not sure where or how to start? Try reaching out to people who inspire you, whether it's through social media, email, phone, or even in person. "Many people don't realize we have access to professors, we have access to other activists," says Shahidi. "There are so many people willing to loan you their resources and advice, and it's about really reaching out and showing interest."